The present invention relates to tools and, more particularly, to tools for use by plumbers or ceramic tile contractors for installing and removing drains. Specifically, one embodiment of the present invention provides a tool to facilitate installation and removal of a shower drain typically employed in a shower having a tile floor.
Many tools have been developed for use by the construction industry. Various general purpose tools are commonplace, such as a hammer, saw, screwdriver, wrench, and numerous other tools. Certain tools have been developed or refined for particular trades, for example, roofing hammers have been developed for roofers, miter saws have been developed for finish carpenters, side cutters have been developed for electricians, and pipe wrenches have been developed for plumbers, etc. Specialized tools facilitate efficient completion of the work required to be performed by the particular tradesman.
By way of example, plumbers typically possess various tools, such as a pipe wrench, pipe cutter, breaker bar, T bar, etc. Plumbers also typically use specialized tools that enable them to more efficiently complete certain tasks, such as the installation of drain hardware.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,090,276 discloses a wrench for installing a strainer base (30) in a sink. The wrench includes a drive bar (16) attached to a depth limiting device (20). The depth limiting device (20) ". . .is dimensioned so as to permit it to enter the upper part of the throat (36), but to come to rest in a mid portion of the throat." See column 6, lines 1-4 of U.S. Pat. No. 5,090,276. The drive bar (16) is configured to engage notches (40) in the strainer base (30). Consequently, the drive bar (16) is dimensioned to fit entirely through the throat (36) of the sink base and to reside in a position in which each end of the drive bar (16) engages one of the opposed notches (40). Therefore, the strainer base installation tool disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,090,276 is specialized for installation of an internally tapered strainer base having notches.
There are other types of drains, for example, shower drains, which are difficult to install and remove. One known type of shower drain is a type employed for drains in showers having tile floors and is commonly known as an E-Z Test drain. An E-Z Test drain, generally indicated by the numeral 1, is shown in FIG. 1. The E-Z Test drain 1 has an internally threaded flange 2 which is rotated onto an externally threaded drain pipe 3. The flange 2 has a lip 4. The E-Z Test drain 1 also has a rim 5. A waterproof shower pan membrane 6 is captured between the flange 2 and the rim 5, and the rim is mounted to the flange by bolts 7. The rim 5 also has internal ribs 8 having threaded holes 9 for mounting a strainer screen (not shown) to the E-Z Test drain 1.
Conventionally, in order to install the E-Z Test drain 1, a plumber or ceramic tile contractor uses a pipe wrench. He or she places the pipe wrench over the lip 4 of the flange 2 of the E-Z Test drain 1 and applies torque to tighten the flange onto the drain pipe 3. Then, the rim 5 is bolted onto the flange 2 to capture the shower pan membrane 6 between the flange and the rim. The plumber or ceramic tile contractor reverses the procedure to remove the E-Z Test drain 1. Removal is often difficult, since the bolts 7 are embedded in grout and the flange 2 is often fused by corrosion to the drain pipe 3. If the plumber or ceramic tile contractor simply grasps the rim 5 between the jaws of a pipe wrench and applies torque, the rim can break without effecting removal of the E-Z Test drain 1.
Consequently, it would be desirable to provide a tool for removal of a commonplace shower drain used in a shower having a tile floor, such as the E-Z Test drain. It would also be desirable to provide a tool to facilitate installation of such a drain. Preferably, such a tool would be rugged in construction and inexpensive and yet provide an effective tool for removal and installation of a shower drain.